Even footballers are feeling the fall in property prices. Phil Neville has finally sold his six-bedroom Lancashire mansion at the bargain-basement price of £2.6m (cash), down from the original asking price of £4m which was set when it first went on the market in January 2008.

The highly personal nature of the property – monogrammed gates at the entrance make it particularly suitable for people with the initials P and J – took a while to shift. The buyer, local businessman Matthew Greensmith, may feel the need to make a few alterations to the interior design. Unless, as is perfectly possible, he is a fan of gold stucco ceilings, exceedingly deep decorative carpets, Versace-themed bedrooms and an unprecedented amount of leather in the living room, plus a cinema.

Are there any suitably initialled couples out there who wished they had stepped in before Mr Greensmith scooped the prize?